


it gets harder when we argue

by Hazloveshisboo



Series: We Know Where We Belong [13]
Category: Captain America (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Angst, But Nothing Too Bad, Fluff, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Non-Serum Steve Rogers/Winter Soldier Bucky Barnes | Shrinkyclinks, Pre-Serum Steve Rogers, Steve gets in a fight, Winter Soldier Bucky Barnes, and a bit of gross language from the guy steve fights, and then it ends in fluff, there is a touch of angst finally, very mild suggestion of sexual assault
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-06-10
Updated: 2018-06-10
Packaged: 2019-05-20 16:25:48
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,070
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14897981
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Hazloveshisboo/pseuds/Hazloveshisboo
Summary: Steve gets in one fight and then another, this time with Bucky.





	it gets harder when we argue

**Author's Note:**

> I'm sorry this took me so long to get out, my online class plus work has kept me very busy but I am back!
> 
> Title from Sweet Creature by Harry Styles

His day had been going normal. He had training with the Avengers in the morning and through lunch, and after, he headed to Prospect Park and laid under a tree with a used book to read until it was time for Steve to get home from his project that day, a mural for a community center, Bucky thought. Steve was supposed to text him when he was a few minutes from home, so Bucky could meet him at his apartment. 

But Steve should have texted him fifteen minutes ago at the latest. Bucky checked his phone for the time once more before he decided to go to Steve’s apartment anyway. It was possible his boyfriend forgot to text him; it wouldn’t be the first time. Bucky backtracked a bit first, taking the route Steve would have taken to get home. He walked slowly, glancing around him every so often. When he was about ten minutes from Steve’s building, he froze outside the mouth of an alley, a voice he knew extremely well proclaiming “Just because I like taking dick doesn’t mean I’m interested in yours!” 

Bucky sighed and took a deep breath before stepping into the alley. There he found Steve with a bloody nose and knuckles standing in front of a man a bit bigger than him, but he was facing away from Bucky, so he could not see any of the man’s features nor had the man noticed the new addition. “You’re a picky little twink then? Maybe I’ll make you take it, not like it’ll take much to hold you down.” Bucky saw red at the man’s word but took a second to focus, noticing Steve’s rising anger as well.

“If I were you,” Bucky started, startling the man as he turned. “I would walk away and never think about following through on those words again. To anyone.” The man, though he looked shaken, put on a confident front. 

“And what are you going to do about it, pretty boy?” he sneered, coming closer to Bucky. Bucky tilted his head back and looked at the man with a blank face. 

“I’ll stick my hand into your chest and crush your still beating heart,” Bucky said calmly. Bucky could let a lot of things go, he had to with the amount of filth he caught on a daily basis with his enhanced hearing, but the one thing he would never let go was the threat or action of sexual assault. Not after what he went through, and especially not toward one of the only people he trusted. 

“E-excuse me?” the man tried to sound brave, but his voiced trembled. 

“You heard me,” Bucky snarled suddenly and grabbed the man by the throat with his metal hand, pushing him against the brick wall of the alley. “If you ever think about forcing yourself onto someone again, I will kill you myself.” The man gasped and choked, pulling at Bucky’s hand. Bucky finally dropped him and stepped back. “Steve? Ready to go home?” 

“Yes,” Steve said and picked up his bag, moving to Bucky’s side. Bucky could tell his boyfriend was mad about the interference, but he wouldn’t show that in front of his attacker. Bucky wrapped his arm around Steve’s shoulders and turned around. They only got a few feet when the man stood behind them and shouted in rage, coming toward them. Bucky dropped his arm and twirled around, blocking the man’s fist easily. He blocked a few more hits before landing two of his own, one to the mans jugular and one to his jaw, knocking him to the ground. Once there and groaning, Steve stepped forward and brought his boot-clad foot down on the man’s groin. “Maybe now you’ll think twice about trying your luck when someone tells you no.” 

Bucky wrapped his arm over Steve’s shoulders again and led him out of the alley and back down the street toward Steve’s building. Steve was silent the entire way but he didn’t shrug Bucky’s arm off so Bucky knew he wasn’t too irritated. Once they made it inside, Steve stepped away from Bucky and turned to glare at him. 

“I’m not going to apologize for stopping that piece of shit from hurting you, or even worse. You know how to fight but if he was able to restrain you somehow, you wouldn’t have been able to get free,” Bucky said and looked down at Steve. “I know you don’t like letting me fight your fights but I’m going to step in when it looks like you’re losing.” 

“I wasn’t losing,” Steve protested and glared at Bucky. “I had him on the ropes, it was fine. I don’t need you to save me.” 

“I’m not saving you. I’m stopping you from getting pummeled by some asshole. I know you know your limits, Steve, could you just put them into practice for once in your life?” Bucky asked, voice raising slightly. Steve was the most important person in his life and he hated when his boyfriend put himself in danger. He just wanted Steve to be safe and healthy and getting into back alley brawls with every jackass who opened his mouth. 

“No! The second I do that, and I let some prick with an inflated ego catcall a girl walking down the street, or a racist doing the Nazi salute, just keep doing what they’re doing, someone gets hurt. And if I can stop that, stop someone else from getting hurt and all it costs me is a black eye or a broken nose? I’m going to do it every time,” Steve finished and pursed his lips. “You know that’s who I am Buck, and I’m not going to change. And if you can’t handle that then you can leave.” Bucky froze at that and looked at Steve with wide eyes. 

“Do you want me to leave?” Bucky asked quietly. He could hear his own voice start to shake. 

“I think you should,” Steve said without looking at him. Bucky stood still for long moment and then nodded once, hurrying out of the apartment and down the stairs. He burst through the door to the building took a deep breath. He didn’t know where to go or what to do, Steve’s words replaying in his head. He leant against the railing for a few moments before walking down the concrete steps and began walking away, not having a destination in mind. 

***  
For the first three nights after his and Steve’s fight, Bucky slept in abandoned houses. He received no contact from Steve. On the evening of the fourth night, Bucky gave in and pulled out his phone, dialing Wanda. He had a room at the Avengers compound that he had never actually used but he figured tonight was a good a night as any. Wanda picked up only a few rings into the call, sounding a bit surprised. Bucky understood, he usually only ever texted.

“James?” Wanda asked. “Is something wrong?” 

“Not exactly. I’m just…I’m coming to the compound, indefinitely,” he replied, making his way to the bus station. “I wanted to someone to know so when I show up, there’s not a panic.” Bucky had never voluntarily gone to either the Avenger’s tower or compound bar training. 

“Of course. When will you be here?” Wanda said. Bucky could tell she was worried by the slight tremble in her voice and he understood.

“In a few hours,” he said and hung up. Once he arrived at the bus station, he found the one that would take him as close to the compound as possible and boarded, sitting in the very back and leaning against the window. He closed his eyes, determined not to think of anything on the two hour bus ride. 

Close to three hours later, after an unscheduled stop, Bucky was finally stepping off the bus. The compound was only about a half-hour walk from the bus station, so he ran the whole way, arriving much faster. Wanda was already waiting outside and when she Bucky coming up the drive, she met him halfway and hugged him tightly. 

“Are you truly okay?” She asked roughly, looking him up and down. Bucky smiled tightly. 

“I’m alright. I’ll tell you everything inside,” he said, and they walked arm-in-arm back up the drive and into the compound. They avoided the communal area and went straight up to Wanda’s room, fortunately not running into anyone. Bucky collapsed onto the bed and sighed, staring up at the ceiling. Wanda laid down next to him. 

“What’s wrong? Why have you come here?” Wanda turned onto her side to look at him.

“My boyfriend, Steve,” Bucky started. “He gets in fights a lot and a few days ago, I pulled him out of one, and he was mad at me. We fought, and he told me to leave. So, I did.” Wanda sighed and moved closer, laying her head on Bucky’s shoulder, his arm curling around her. “I’ll be alright kid. I’m a grown-up, I can handle a fight with my boyfriend.”

“Doesn’t mean you have to handle it alone,” she said.

***  
When Bucky woke up the next morning, he was alone in Wanda’s bed. They had fallen asleep while watching a movie, but he knew she preferred to stay in bed, so he was surprised and confused to find her missing, but he didn’t want to face any of the other Avengers just to find her. He laid back down, settling in to wait for her return. 

Almost an hour later, his phone vibrated against the nightstand. Bucky turned and grabbed it, wondering it could be. Wanda, Steve, Pepper, and JARVIS were the only people who had access to his number. He unlocked it to see a new message from Steve, asking if he could come over. Bucky jumped out of bed, texting Wanda that he would see her at training. 

Three hours later, he was standing outside Steve’s building, staring up at the window he knew belonged to his boyfriend.

“You are the Winter Soldier,” he muttered to himself. “You are the deadliest man on the planet. You can walk up those stairs and talk to your boyfriend.” He shook his head and took a deep breath before walking up the porch steps. He unlocked the front door and headed up the four flights of stairs, keeping his head down until he reached Steve’s apartment. He raised his fist and knocked several times, the door flinging open with his hand still in the air. Steve stood in front of him, eyes red with dark circles underneath. His lips were chapped, and his hair was a bit greasy and he was wearing one of Bucky’s shirts with just underwear underneath. 

“Bucky,” he croaked and Bucky…Bucky broke. He hurried forward and pulled Steve against his chest. Steve wheezed against him, clinging tightly to Bucky. Bucky kicked the door shut and picked up Steve, carrying him across the room to his bed, climbing on laying down with Steve still tucking into his arms. “Bucky, I’m sorry,” Steve whispered. 

“It’s okay, Stevie. I’m here now and I’m not going anywhere,” Bucky said.

“I’m sorry for telling you to leave, I didn’t mean it,” Steve said, pressing his face against Bucky’s chest. “And you were right, about that guy. He could have done anything to me and I wouldn’t have been able to stop him. Thank you for helping me.” 

“You’re welcome. But you know I would do it anytime, anyplace. You’re the most important person to me and I just want to keep you safe. I know you’re strong, you’re the strongest person I know,” Bucky said softly, running the fingers of his metal hand through Steve’s hair.

“You know all of the Avengers. You are an Avenger,” Steve sniffled.

“Sure, they’re all physically strong but you, Steve, you have gone through so much and come out the other side. You help me every day, help me to be strong,” Bucky said. “I love you.”

“I love you too. And you help me to be strong too, just so you know,” Steve said, smiling up at Bucky, though it was still small and a bit strained. 

“So, we just keep being strong together, and we’ll be able to get through anything, even dumb fights like this one, yeah?” Bucky suggested. Steve nodded and pressed a kiss to Bucky’s chest through his shirt.

**Author's Note:**

> [my tumblr](http://hazloveshisboo.tumblr.com/)
> 
> as always, if you have requests just put them in the comments or message me on tumblr!
> 
> and just so you know, Bucky and Wanda's meeting and bonding is already on the list to be written!


End file.
